Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has rejected the pre-arrest bail plea for two brothers, Abhishek Thakur and Rohit Thakur, associated with the firm Wild Connectivity Solutions (WCS). The siblings are implicated in a multi-crore scam involving online ‘Jungle Safari’ bookings at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke, presiding over a single bench, dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas, citing the substantial amount involved in the scam and the lack of cooperation from the accused during the investigation.
The court stated, “Considering the role of applicants in the crime having involved enormous and huge amount, siphoning of the amount and fabrication of digital data, and the investigation revealing the manner in which the forest department is duped and the government money is at stake, the role of the applicants is clearly exposed.”
According to the prosecution, WCS, in an agreement with the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve Conservation Foundation in 2021, was entrusted with online bookings for the ‘Jungle Safari.’ However, in 2023, it was discovered that WCS had violated the terms of the agreement, failed to deposit money, and deceived the forest department. The investigation disclosed that the accused had misappropriated funds amounting to Rs 72 crore from the forest department.
In its order, the High Court emphasized not only the allegation of money being siphoned but also the fabrication of electronic records. The court underscored that anticipatory bail is crucial to safeguard individual rights and prevent the misuse of the power of arrest, providing protection against harassment for innocent individuals.
